Industry: Design

Action Condensed

Grades hold the line: weight changes without layout disruption

Action Condensed is a condensed sans-serif family by Erik van Blokland, designed primarily for screen and interface use. Each of its four weights includes three grades sharing the same width, so text can shift weight on rollover without reflowing the layout. Despite its interface origins, the family also functions in print contexts such as posters.

Set in Action Condensed

Insights

The grade system—three grades per weight on a fixed width—directly solves the web-rollover reflow problem at the type design level.
Van Blokland's design brief called for interface type without an overtly neutral personality, an unusual criterion for a utility-oriented condensed sans.